In addition, aircraft flown by other agencies, or by members of the public who are not involved in suppressing the fire, may inadvertently or deliberately fly over or near to the wildfire. This presents a hazard to personnel involved in both aerial and ground operations.
Fire and rescue services need to consider that commercial aircraft and drones (unmanned aircraft) that are not involved in suppression operations may be flown at, or near, a wildfire incident. They may, for example, be used to record media footage of the incident or to inspect national infrastructure such as power lines or pipelines. These aircraft may fly near to aerial or ground resources, increasing the likelihood of an air-to-air or air-to-ground collision.
It is important that fire and rescue services notify air traffic control as soon as possible if there is a possibility that the wildfire may represent a hazard to aircraft in the area. Air traffic control can then issue warnings and instructions to aircraft in the vicinity of the fire. If required, the police can request that air traffic control create an air exclusion zone around a fire, to prevent unauthorised aircraft or drones from flying over, or near, the incident.